I wandered away from the crowd of tourists, brown magnolia leaves broke apart under my shoes. I found an old stone bench hidden in a narrow walkway and sat down. The cemetery felt like an old sanctuary, its white tombs and crying angels sat quietly under a gloomy sky. Split concrete and overgrown weeds spread out over the soft flat earth. The names of the dead etched carefully in stone. I looked around and felt at home.
1. New Orleans,Louisiana
Image by Getty Images
There are plenty of good reasons to spend Halloween in New Orleans. The endless parades and beignets are enough for me. I could easily book a room at House of the Rising Son on Pelican Ave and spend my time doing nothing but eating and being lazy….but I am talking about NOLA here..I have complied a list of intriguing things to see while visiting New Orleans during Halloween.
1.Lafayette Cemetery. Visiting the cemetery half in the bag… at night, is always fun. Beware of mummies and ghosts. It is Halloween, after all…
2. Visit the abandoned Six Flags on Michoud Boulevard, at night. If you have a penchant for photography,arriving before sunset is the ideal way to go…just watch out for creepy clowns and angry cops.
3. The Historic Voodoo Museum is pretty cool. New Orleans Voodoo is more than just an obscure set of religious practices. The history of Voodoo in New Orleans is intriguing and involves zombies, Voodoo queens and much more. If you are like me and enjoy history, you may find yourself enamoured by this spooky place.
4. If you want to escape the enormous crowds of the French Quarter, but still want to drink and have a good time, head on over to Vaughan’s Lounge on Dauphine Street. After a long night of slamming back sazeracs and dancing like crazy to a bevy of local jazz musicians, you may find yourself too exhausted and beleaguered to make it back to your hotel room.
5. Voodoo Fest this year features Jack White…enough said….
Photo were taken by Tiffany Bailey, also known as Flickr user xshamethestrongx.
2. Salem,Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts is a lovely place to visit during Halloween. Some 60,000 people arrive in Salem every year for Halloween festivities. In regards to things to see and where to stay,there are a number of award winning B&B’s, along with dozens of historical sites. The Salem Witch Museum is a must see. Here are the top 5 reasons for visiting Salem this October.
1. Stay at The Amelia Payson House Bed & Breakfast on Winter Street. Amelia House is located in the Historic District of Salem. The B&B is a quick walk to the Salem Witch Museum, the House of the Seven Gables, as well as the carnival on Derby Street.
2. The Salem Witch Museum. The Salem Witch trials of 1692 were tragic. The people of 17th Century colonial North America were a superstitious bunch. Paranoia and religious zealotry led to the conviction of 20 innocent people…who all died at the hands of lunatics..Anyhow, the museum is a dark, creepy place filled with mystery. I highly recommend a visit.
3. Carnival on Derby Street. Fried dough, cotton candy, witches and zombies. All on the beautiful waterfront. Need I say more?
4. Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball. Drink lots of ale, preferably strong stuff, then dress up like the Texas Chainsaw dude and crash the ball…the Patagonia clad tourists will be horrified.
5. Check out Kane Hodder, aka Jason Voorhees. He will be making an appearance at Count Orlock’s Nightmare Gallery on October 30-31st. Chainsaw included…
1. Tremé in New Orleans. I might be lucky enough to catch The Subdudes at the Candlelight Lounge.
2. Acadia National Park..to camp and hike around Mt. Desert Island.
3. Montreal…to see Leonard Cohen at The Bell Centre in November.
4. Old San Juan, Puerto Rico…to write…maybe smoke a cigar…forgo the rum, and visit the Old San Juan Star building.
5. The Ozarks…I have always wanted to visit the damn Ozarks.Perhaps it was Winter’s Bone?
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